War in Heaven

The Izanami were created by Farseer Aeslin the Dreamer, and is largely a matriarchal society of Eldar. Just like their brethren they were far more inclined towards extremes however that was tempered by Farseer Aeslin’s protectiveness. Those who she fought with, traveled with, became family whether they were Eldar or not and she was very protective of them, wanting to nurture and guide them. She could quickly become cold and calculating if someone threatened them, much like a mother would protect their children.

They were not considered the fiercest or the best of the best Eldar, nor were they as specialized as some of the other clans. They however made up for that in clear, concise calculations in battle that were reminiscent of the way the Old Ones would make decisions, guided by Farseer Aeslin. It wasn’t just for glory or because they were created to fight, they did so out of a desire of duty and noblesse oblige.

The Old Ones knew their time was coming to an end and that it would become the younger races who continued to shape the future. The Eldar one of their greatest creations, created during the war as psychic warriors to aid them would also become one of their biggest failures. It was foretold that the Eldar empire would fall to Chaos as a result of their own hubris in the future. They tried to warn them but the proud race would not heed the warnings until it was too late. There was another threat in the far distant future, a looming darkness, a threat greater than any they have fought that engulfed the future in darkness. The Izanami were crafted to serve both as backup plan but also someone to continue to their work. It was then one of the Eldar’s first Craftworlds was created, it would eventually be what the rest of the Eldar based their own Craftworlds creations on in the distant future.

The Craftworld was known as Izanami-no-Mikoto, which means ‘she who invites life and death’. It was to serve as a trading and seed ship meant to travel through the void to neighboring galaxies. As such they are probably some of the few who actually remember the Old Ones and can remember the creation of the Eldar race before they became tainted. Similar to the old ones own benevolent nature, they were designed to help nurture the younger races and protect them. They wanted Izanami to continue their mission of fostering, nurturing new civilizations while keeping the galaxies legacy intact.

In order to aid them in their journey and task the Craftworld was heavily modified. Using something similar to a Gellar Field, they could create a bubble of space around the ship allowing it to contract space in front of it and expand it behind it. It would result in the ship not moving faster but allow it to glide through it. It however could not be used within the Galaxy as it could cause damage to nearby systems. This massive warp engine would be used to travel to nearby galaxies seeding them and to construct a webway connecting the galaxies. Their craftworld was constructed much larger than most Craftworlds so that it would be able to survive traveling across the void and while continuing to support itself. Unlike the other Craftworlds which would become centered around certain Aspect Warriors or traits, it encompassed all of the Eldar in the same Craftworld utilizing a caste like structure.


Living in the Void

Traveling between the galaxies took a very long time, especially amongst the long living Eldar, it felt like an eternity. The nearest galaxy was over 25,000 light years away and even with the ability to jump great distances, it would still take take 20,000 years to get there. It wasn't that the long trip that made it difficult but it was the silence that threatened to drive them slowly insane. In the void there was only darkness, the feeling of cold, loneliness but there was also something else. It was like they felt they were being watched but couldn’t see it, existing just on the fringe of their sense. silence that seemed to leave the feeling of hunger.

It wasn’t always like that though. The first few millennia there was much to do and learn. There was no recorded information on what was in the void, which wasn’t just nothing but black space. There were what appeared to be rogue stars, which they were able to use as way stations to replenish resources. It was like bathing in the sun around some of them, it felt rejuvenating. At these points they were able to open the gateway and communicate back with the Milky Way. The Old Ones were gone but the Eldar were taking their place as the great leaders of the galaxy.

After awhile the new discoveries were no longer new, along with the silence boredom started to lead them down a different path. Much like their brethren back in the Milky Way Galaxy they did head down the path of hedonism, but unlike them they didn't sink deep into sadism. They could have easily fell victim to the same if it wasn't for a couple things, one being the Harlequin Troupe. They traveled between the castes and various parts of the Craftworld weaving stories and adventures which kept everyone entertained. Although some of the stories were the same, being able to have a festival helped break the feeling of being alone.

It was then they started to hear the voices, the silence was shattered. It was the first connection or sign that something else was out in the void and they weren't alone. It felt as though they were in pain, needing help, like they were starving. It was unsure if it was a world or a stranded ship but they thought this new species they encountered were in need of help. As they got closer, the voices grew louder and that was when the nightmares started. Those with more powerful psychic abilities started to feel the hunger, the pain of hunger and the agony of the cold. It felt like they were feeding on each other, until they felt them and started to feed on their dreams. They called them the Terr'or and by the time they figured out what it was, it was already too late.

This was the first encounter with the Tyranid that the Eldar knew. They did not know what this giant mass, which looked more like a planet or moon than a ship, reached out to them with a tendril. Aspect Warriors longed for glorious battle after the many years, they longed for adventures but they were not prepared for what they encountered. It tried to devour the Craftworld as they fought against the swarm, pushing it back and when they thought they would win another tendril unfurled latching on to the Craftworld. The war raged on for years until they modified the "The Engine", it was meant to power the webway gate to link the galaxies together but they figured out how to focus in the energy of the Infinity Circuit into a psychic lance into the center of Terr'or, into its hive mind and destroy it. It was not without risk because it would take a taskforce to infiltrate into the enemy seed ship and setup the focusing crystal. There was also a chance to blow part of the Craftworld apart and anyone one the taskforce who died, their souls may not find their way back to the Infinity Circuit.

When they fired the cannon, the tendrils latched to the Craftworld instantly released as all the Eldar felt the screams and death of a species. At the time they had no idea who they encountered or what they were but when the hive mind was destroyed, everything screamed and either died or became dormant. They were once again plunged back into silence and for once it was welcomed.

A New Galaxy

When they emerged into the new Galaxy they were both curious as well as cautious. It took a millenium to repair the damages left by the wake of the storm they encountered in the void. The Harlequin Troupe had new stories and tales to sing and even though those brave ones who souls were lost to the darkness, they would never be forgotten. They weren't sure what to expect in this whole new galaxy but what they found was not at all something they will ever forget.

There was life everywhere, so many voices reached out and called to them. However they were voices they were familiar with and encountered before. They didn't know if this was where the Tyranid had come from, if this was their home galaxy or if was simply someplace they had conquered but it was clear this was their domain. Wanting glory, vengeance and justice they started their crusade to purge this galaxy of the Tyranid. It was a war that would take eons. Now that they knew what they were fighting, the millennium they spent traveling was not wasted while they developed new training and techniques in case they encountered them again. The war at first definitely felt one sided. These were not like the ones they fought in the void, it was almost like they were cast-offs or what was left behind in its wake. They also found that the Tyranid didn't fully devour everything. There were pockets of sentient life which they fought to protect. While they fought against the dark hunger, those sentient lives started to foster their own civilizations. It was like a new forest growing beneath the ashes of one torn asunder by fire and flames. The life was vibrant and strong and soon joined in the fight against the Tyranid until the galaxy was cleansed.

Once the Crusade was over, they remembered their true purpose was to create the connect the galaxies. On the world that Izanami had used to create their own capital and grow their own empire outside of the Craftworld they set up the "The Engine". Unfortunately they could not have picked a worse time to activate the Webway, as it happened during the the Fall and the birth of Slaanesh. They could feel the death of their people, hear the cry although the effects of it because of the distance did not affect them like it did their brethren back in the Milky Way. A decision was made to shut the Webway down and they buried the "The Engine" so it could not be used to unleash the darkness in this Galaxy.

Two Paths Home

It was time to go home and there were two paths to take. The first was to construct a new Craftworld, it would continue their mission of seeding other galaxies and travel to the next closest galaxy. Their path was to take them around until they would eventually connect back to the Milky Way. While they did that the primary Craftworld would return through the void to aid whatever would remain of their brethren by the time they returned. With the help of the other civilizations that fostered and their own expanding empire, the technology of their old Craftworld has been upgraded. It would only take them half the time to return than it did to get there. As a counter measure in case they failed, they would keep a sizeable force still in this galaxy to not only continue to watch over the other species, to serve as guardians in case the Tyranid return but also to be sure to keep part of the Eldar civilization still intact.

Home Sweet Tyranid

Despite the upgrades it still took them longer than expected to return back to the Milky Way galaxy. Along the way they encountered more Tyranid seed ships lurking in the void. They couldn't tell if they were heading towards the same place the Eldar were headed or to other galaxies. It was clear that these creatures devoured everything in their path and left nothing in their wake. They weren't about to let them bring harm to anyone else.

When they did return to their galaxy, the shock of what had happened since they were gone was reeling. It was eons since they were here but to them it only felt like a few millenium. Everything was changed and the once baby domains of the humans had now taken over the majority of the galaxy. Their people were left in ruins, scattered across the galaxy and splintered. The once proud race that used to be at the pinnacle of the galaxy had truly fallen. Even though it pained them, they did not at first reach out to their brethren. They weren't sure if they would even remember them or worse how much they have been tainted by Chaos. For now they bided their time observing the galaxy.

It was until they felt the familiar voices at the edge of the galaxy, they knew that the Tyranid was coming. They started their crusade again, believing that was the original calling of their people to fend off the looming darkness. Stories of the Izanami started to spread across the galaxy. They didn't charge blindly into the darkness, they were very careful about where they engaged being mindful of the other races around them including their own. Stories of a shadow looming above, striking and bringing light in their wake started to spread. To the Eldar they were a myth, too busy trying to fend against the Chaos and the humans. To the Ork they were just like the other Eldar which confused them even more when they saved one of their planets from the Tyranid. The humans didn't care as the fringes were long forgotten by the emperor when they were saved from the legions of chaos. They made their way across the galaxy with the one goal to purge the Tyranid forever... and then, they would be able to see what remained of their people.